Friends never say Goodbye
by Jynxedwitch
Summary: Tails takes a walk to ponder his next step in life. Will an enchanting vixen he sees on his journey effect his decision? Oneshot. Please read and review!


Jynxed here. I don't know much about the places Sonic and co live in, as I can only watch Sonic X, but I try to improvise. PLEASE REVIEW! Tails oneshot but may extend if enough people want me to continue. Hope you like. Flames are welcome, but don't be too cruel. No other characters appear in this story, but may be mentioned. Sorry if nothing fits. I don't own Sonic or any of their characters, but I do own my own character, Sahara.

**Summary:** Tails takes a walk to ponder his next step in life. Will an enchanting vixen he sees on his journey effect his decision? Oneshot. **Please read and review**! May make a sequel.

**Friends never say Goodbye**

Tails walked slowly down the dusty path, his orange fur gently swaying in the breeze. He didn't know where he was going, but he let his feet lead the way. The forest was safe; not many people knew about it or, if they did, they tended not to visit. The place had a magical air to it, an air of living, seeming to greet some creatures more happily than others. Tails was one of the few the forest allowed in without comment, bar swaying branches without wind. He appreciated the calm aura. It helped him think and solve problems he found hard to answer back home. There were many times that he had come here while trying to sort out a complicated mechanism or process. His thoughts linked better when there was no-one to interrupt them.

This time, though, he didn't have a problem with his machinery. He had a problem with his life.

Ever since he defeated Robotnik, life had been boring for him. He had no missions to complete that were any harder than fixing someone's watch. His friends had adapted to normal lives easily, filling up their time like there was no tomorrow. How Tails wanted to be like them, visiting parks, seeing movies, _fitting in_. You would think a two-tailed fox would be able to mingle more easily than a blue hedgehog could. But people still teased Tails. No-one seemed to notice. All he wanted to do was be accepted and be able to live almost normally. But he missed the adventures, the permanent chance of a trick. Sounds weird, he knew, but he was used to it. It was his lifestyle. He couldn't just change it in a heartbeat like the others.

Of course, Sonic's admirers were a constant reminder of the adventures they'd faced already. Fangirl's constantly asking for autographs, people pointing in the street, reporters at the door. There was no privacy. He could tell Sonic that he was bored, that he wanted to escape from fans, but Sonic would laugh. Why would you want to leave people who couldn't get enough of you? It was the hedgehog all over. Tails had fans of his own, but he didn't like to be picked up and cuddled all the time. He didn't mind giving the fans thirty minutes to see him or something, but when he was running late and crazy fans were trying to catch him, he got a bit angry.

The reporters were worse. He now refused to say a word when a reporter was present. He was not going to relive the 'Is Tails a traitor?' phase again. I mean, who can mistake a secret party with a massive scheme to kidnap Sonic and take him to Robotnik?

Most of his friends were behind him. Sonic was his best friend, even if he didn't always take Tails seriously. Vanilla, Cream and Cheese were the pals he could talk to. Amy was bubbly and fun, but slightly obsessed with her blue hero. Knuckles was a protector. Rouge was the mystery card you get in every pack. He cared about them all dearly. He would miss them if he left. But he needed to get away and have a new goal, new independence.

Tails thoughts were interrupted by a small splash. He looked down to see his white paw submerged in cool, clear water. His wandering feet had led his body to a free-flowing river that was fed by the mountain streams. A small waterfall that was upriver from him cast rainbows across the crystal water. A few drops of dew clung to his thick fur like beads. When he shook, the movement startled little fish that had been nibbling at the tips of his stray tails. They scattered in all directions.

Tails watched the fish, sadly. He wished he could be like these little fish, free and unknowing to what the world may throw at them. Not criticized about the way they did things. Purely happy to be spontaneous and preparing themselves for anything. Tails sat on a short log that jutted out into the rivers current, bathing his hind paws and teasing a few brave fish with his tails again. A movement he sensed from across the river alerted him. His head snapped up. The fish darted away again.

A vixen stood upon the opposite riverbank, watching him calmly. Her coat was red in colour, bordering onto brown, but her chest and the tip of her tail was a creamy white. She wore a black sleeveless shirt and denim-blue leggings. She was Sonics height, Tails guessed, perhaps a little shorter. She wore no shoes but a small silver anklet was fastened on her right ankle. She gazed at Tails with knowing blue eyes, eyes that were caring, mother-like. Tails felt like those crystal eyes were reading his thoughts, his soul.

The vixen smiled at Tails open-mouthed stare. Her white hind paws took three steps back. She bent down and picked up a dead branch that had been swept up by the current. Crouching down, she started to write in the damp sand by the riverbank. Tails watched her write swiftly as if she had a quill and parchment. Presently, the vixen stood up again, looking back at Tails and smiling happily. She waved to him with a white paw and walked into the shadows of the trees behind her, tail swaying gently.

Tails shook himself out of his stupor and blinked, confused. He slipped into the cool water and swam to the opposite bank. As he pulled himself out, shaking himself again, he saw the words the vixen had written:

Friends may make mistakes

They may make you unhappy

But they're always the ones

That make you laugh again.

Friends never say Goodbye.

Good luck. Sahara XxX

It was a poem. A smile crossed the young fox's face as he read the words carefully. The vixen was more than she seemed; she knew what he felt. Her name; Sahara.

Tails felt…refreshed. Prepared. Somehow the vixen words made sense to him. They linked the solution together. Tails would stay by Sonic, like a true friend. He could talk to Sonic, but he was sure another bad guy would turn up soon. His life was made to be hectic. Sonic made it so. He couldn't leave all his pals. He needed them like…like a fish needs water.

Tails stared into the water again. A solitary fish was darting around his tails and paws. As he watched, it left him, swimming away into the centre of the river where the shoal was waiting.

Friends never say goodbye.

Tails stood up, a secret smile on his face. With his mind in a world of his own, he started the long walk home.

Around him, the vines swayed with no breeze.


End file.
